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If there ever was a Nextel phone, the Motorola i365 would be it. Big, burly, and bulky, the i365 looks as if it could withstand just about anything. Make no mistake: this is a serious phone for making voice and push-to-talk (PTT) calls. There's no camera or music player, and it makes no effort to be trendy or stylish. Normally we might complain, but with a Nextel phone, it's more than appropriate. Yet, the i365 does throw us a few bones. Bluetooth, voice dialing, and GPS are onboard, and the color display, while rather small, is easy on the eyes. It's also cheap, at just $89 with service. To find accessories for this phone, see our cell phone ringtones and accessories guide.

Design
The has a lot in common with its Moto i355 predecessor. In an age where thin phones continue to be in, both handsets take the opposite course. In fact, you might confuse them with a cordless phone. At 5.3 inches tall by 2.1inches wide by 1.2 inches deep, and weighing 6.7 ounces, the i365 belongs more on a belt clip than in a pocket, but the trade-off is an incredibly tough phone that should withstand just about anything. However, it still might be too big for some. If you'd rather go for a
slim phone, try the

The i365 has an extendable antenna.

Like most Nextel phones, the i365 meets military specifications for dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, and solar radiation. Though it's not completely waterproof like the G'zOne Boulder, it also meets military specifications for blowing rain and humidity. A rubberized casing ensures maximum protection, and the battery cover uses a secure locking mechanism. Unlike most current phones, the i365 uses an external antenna, which can extend to boost coverage.

The i365's battery cover has a secure locking mechanism.

As previously mentioned, the i365's screen is rather small (1.62 inches, 130x130 pixels), but it supports a sharp 64,000 colors. Though graphics don't look especially fantastic, the display is nonetheless bright and colorful. You can change the backlight time and the font size. The menus have the standard, multipage Nextel design, of which we've never been fans, but they're simple and easy to use.

The i365 features a volume rocker and a PTT button on its left spine.

Below the display is the i365's superb navigation array. We had no complaints with its spacious layout and pleasantly tactile controls. The rubberized covering on the keys felt great beneath our fingers and we liked that they give a distinct "push" feeling when pressed. There's a four-way toggle with a central OK button, two soft keys, a dedicated menu button, a power control, and Talk and End keys. They keypad buttons also have a great design. We could dial and text quickly, and dial by feel. The backlighting is a bit dim, but it should be fine for most users.

Kent German leads CNET's How To coverage and is the senior managing editor of CNET Magazine. A veteran of CNET since 2003, he started in San Francisco and is now based in the London office. When not at work, he's planning his next trip to Australia, going for a run, or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
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